Luminous bowl electric lighting fixture



March 21, 1939. G. AlNswoRTH LUMINOUS BOWL ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE I Filed Oct. 27, l956 ,lj venol GEORGE. AINSWORTH man gam,

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUMINOUS BOWL ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE 6 Claims.

The object of the invention is to combine an especially constructed incandescent lamp bulb with a basin of inexpensive material and such basins may be made shallow and placed close to the glass lamp bulb.

Heretofore such inexpensive material as paper, Celluloid, organic plastics, thin glass, were not suitable for reflectors either because they were hazardous from the danger of fire or were perishable and disintegrated because of heat generated by the lamp.

Another object is to permit the placing of the reflecting basin close to the electric lamp and by means of a system of apertures in a reflecting medium placed within the lamp bulb between the light source and the enclosing glass, to control and evenly distribute illumination on the inside of the luminous basin placed close to the electric bulb.

Another object is to so dispose the apertures in the reecting medium of the bulb that a small proportion only of the generated light is permitted to illuminate the basin and thereby avoid the use of heavy glass which requires more light to give it a luminous effect than thin glass.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the heat insulating or heat retarding character of an internally silver coated glass incandescent electric bulb in close proximity to a thick, heavy and large glass basin such as shown in my Patent No. 1,957,192, thereby avoiding the hazard of breakage and injury to persons under the fixture because of unequal expansion in portions of the glass subjected to unequal amounts of heat from the lamp.

Another object ofthe invention is toy get a large output of light from the combination of a shallow basin and a light source, it being well known that light sources placed deep in deep basins cannot distribute as much light as when a light source is near the top edge of a. shallow basin.

Another beneficial object derived from the combination is that these inexpensive materials for reflectors facilitate the use of basins of relatively large diameters at lower cost than heretofore. Such large diameter basins have the advantage of cutting off from view the neck of the electric lamp frompersons standing at some distance from the fixture. This obviates the neces-l From the foregoing it will be observed that the combination of these inflammable reectors with electric lamps, that heretofore have generated excessive heat, is made possible by the position of the mirrored reflector on the inside surface of the enclosing lamp bulb, thereby redirecting the light rays and the heat rays away from the enclosing glass thereby keeping it cool and permitting this new application of luminous bowl electric lighting fixtures.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,-

Fig. 1 shows a View of the vertical section of a globular inside silvered electric lamp bulb in association with a shallow reflector.

Fig. 2 is a View of the vertical section of a hyperbolic inside silvered electric lamp bulb in association with a shallow reflector.

Fig. 3 shows a larger scale drawing of the relation of the mirrored finish and the system of apertures to the enclosing glass bulb.

The drawing, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views thereof, illustrates a basin I placed close to an incandescent lamp bulb 2 which has the special characteristic of a mirrored layer or finish 3 positioned between the light center 5 and the inner surface 2 of the enclosing glass lamp bulb 2. Rays of heat and light 6 from the incandescent filament center 5 are in the main reflected in heat and light rays 'I away from the mirrored layer 3, thereby retarding the transmission or induction of the major portion of the heat content to the glass lamp bulb 2.

The mirrored surface 3 is placed preferably in the lower zone of the lamp bulb 2, so that most of the light rays 6 are re-directed upward and outward to escape the edge 9 of the reflection basin I.

The mirrored surface 3 may be of any desired shape, globular, hyperbolic or parabolic and may have a system of apertures lil. Said apertures IG are designed and adapted to permit a small proportion of light rays 6 to filter through the glass 2 and illuminate the translucent reflector basin I so that its outer surface ll shows evidence all over of an even illumination within the bowl. The apertures lil are particularly disposed so the light rays irrespective of the distance they have to travel result in equal luminosity on the exterior of the diffusing basin thereby hyperbolic coated portion.

counteracting the inverse square law as applied to the distance the various rays of light must travel. p

It is apparent from the foregoing description that electric lamp bulbs generating high temperatures may be combined with the most inexpensive and perishable reflector diffuser basins which are otherwise not suitable for use when placed close to electric lamp bulbs. And especially by means of this combination, such perishable translucent basins or reflectors can be shallower lending themselves to the formation of new shapes and styles to stimulate sales because of their novelty and low cost. I am aware that modifications in details in construction may be made without sacrificing the principle of my invention and I therefore do not desire that it be limited otherwise than by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A semi-indirect lighting fixture comprising inv combination a thermically perishable plastic translucent bowl and a high intensity incandescent lamp bulb; said bulb being positionedcentrally of, and in close proximity to the bottom of said bowl, said lamp bulb having the portion thereof adjacent said bowl provided with an internal reflecting coating whereby most of the light and heat rays are reflected upwardly and outwardly away from said bowl, said reflecting coating having perforations therein for the passage of suicient light to evenly illuminate said bowl.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, in which the coated portion of said lamp bulb is hyperbolic in contour to reect the light and heat rays away from the longitudinal axis of said 3. In combination, a translucent bowl, an electric lamp bulb positioned on the vertical axis of said bowl and in close proximity to the bottom of said bowl, the portion of the bulb closest to the bottom of the bowl having its internal surface provided with substantially horizontal zones of reflecting material, with narrow openings therebetween, whereby the light and heat rays are reflected upwardly and outwardly away from said bowl, said openings being of such area as to allow sufcient light to pass to illuminate the bowl.

4. In combination, a translucent bowl, an electric lamp bulb positioned on the vertical axis of said bowl and in close proximity to the bottom of said bowl, heat retarding and light reecting means positioned between the light source of the bulb and the inner surface of the bottom of the bulb closest to the bowl, said means being formed in bands, with narrow openings therebetween, whereby the light and heat rays are reflected upwardly and outwardly away from said' bowl, said openings being of such area, as to allow suflicient light to pass to illuminate the bowl. Y

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the coated portion of the bulb is hyperbolic in contour to reflect the light'and heat rays away from thev longitudinal axis of said hyperbolic coated portion. c

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which the heat retarding and light reflecting means, and that portion of the bowl adjacent thereto is hyperbolic in contour to reflect the light and heat rays away from the longitudinal axis thereof.

GEORGE AINSWORTH. 

